Easy Salad Solutions

As promised yesterday, here is my recipe for a super tasty easy to make salad dressing. The base of this dressing is very versatile and there are many many variations that you can experiment with if you find you love it as much as me!

Ingredients (per person):

1 Tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tsp Champagne Vinegar

1/2 small clove of Garlic, pressed/minced

1/4 Tsp Dried Oregano

1 small Squirt of Dijon mustard (approx 1/4 tsp if you’re measuring)

Salt & Pepper to taste

Seriously… that is it.

Tips:

So to make this thing you can just throw everything together in a small condiments bowl and whisk with a fork. But, there are a few things you can to do make sure it is top notch.

1. Always use fresh garlic. The kind you have to peel the skin off of. Pre-minced garlic or cloves from a jar do not have the same flavor or potency. Crushing with a garlic press is the best way to get the most juice out and to distribute flavor evenly throughout the salad once tossed. Love garlic? Use more than the recipe calls for. I love garlic, and sometimes put a whole clove in just for myself. I have also been asked “Did you want any salad with your garlic??” and hence have instituted a general measurement for if I am making this dressing for others.

2. If your garlic is a little on the mature side and has a little bit of a green sprout coming out of the small end, just cut it in half and scoop out the green middle. It doesn’t taste bad, per say, but it doesn’t help either. Sensitive palates say that it can leave a little bit of a bitter aftertaste.

3. Shake the Oregano into the palm of your hand and roll it with your index finger or thumb as you dispense it into the bowl, this crushes it and allows more of the flavor to come out. I recommend this approach anytime you use dried Oregano for any recipe!

4. Add all ingredients except for the olive oil first, and then while you whisk the ingredients together, slowly drizzle in the olive oil to help it emulsify as it gets added. This is not super important, I usually skip this step because I don’t have time or patience. The mustard helps emulsify the oil and vinegar together if they are just whisked with a fork simultaneously also.

5. The ingredients are listed for just one serving, so double, triple, or x10 as necessary. If I’m planning on having salad 3-4 times during the week, I’ll go ahead and make 8 servings for G & me at once, stick them into a small bell jar and shake (this shaking in a bell jar method works great for emulsifying the oil and vinegar also!) It refrigerates well for up to a week. 3 Tsp = 1 Tbsp so you can cut down on measuring 24 different teaspoons of various liquids- guarantee you can’t keep track if the TV is on 🙂 And, when you serve from a bell jar, a serving is just 1 Tbsp of the dressing, since that would include your 2 Tsp vinegar and 1 Tsp oil. Make sure you shake well before you scoop out!

6. Try the recipe once as stated, and then start experimenting!! The base of the recipe is olive oil, vinegar (of any flavor or variety), garlic, and dijon. The type of vinegar and spices added can vary.

If you like your dressing a little sour, add a splash of lemon juice to any variety. If you like it sweet, add a tiny bit of Stevia or a squeeze of orange.

If you want a balsamic vinaigrette? Add Balsamic vinegar instead, take out the Oregano (and dijon for that one), and add a little raspberry or strawberry preserves for a twist. With strawberry preserves, this dressing is particularly good on spinach with some goat cheese.

I’m starving now. Time to go get a snack!! Leave a comment and let me know what you think! Happy salad eating, everyone.